It fits a push chair in back, and when you have to get rid of a fast car is perfect for the family and when you want a race you can. Grate car all around for what I want and the family.

I love the car but it does drink even when you drive like a fairy. but whenever I look at it I think why didn't ford put a spoiler on the boot? Cant afford to get an after market spoiler cos it is all spent on fuel. nice 17" alloys though

For the Ford Focus ST170 I part-exchanged my 2002 Ford Focus 1.8 TDCI Ghia which I had for 3 years, this was a very good all round car that was a treat with the TDCI engine, lots power when the turbo kicked in! The only down side was the uncomfortable seats with the dull grey fabric trim. The problem I had was that I liked the car as an overall package and fuel economy but wanted something more sporty that could still have the kids in the back. I tried a Hyundai Coupe which was OK but cramped and a Peugeot 406 Coupe but the handling was sluggish, I also tried a Mondeo but this was too big and a dull ride. The ST seemed to tick all the boxes and not cost the earth to upgrade my old car. I just hope that I don't have any major problems with it?

I love it though, I've been a ford man for years and owned sierra Cosworths and series 2 rs turbo's, this focus is better than them all, I think when I can afford to change it I will buy it's big brother, the RS! Look out for future reviews on that one!

Handles like a dream you would need something wrong with you if you couldn't keep it on the road flies when you hit every gear - just great fun! I love it.

After 2 years with this Ford Focus ST 170 I am still in love with it which is something which has not happened to me for 10 years. It looks great but not silly like some of these max power efforts that are on the road.
The main thing I have noticed compared to some of the Fords I've owned in the past is the build quality which is on par (if not better than) its rival VW. The drive is excellent whether it's being driven hard our softly. On the horse power side it's OK and doesn't really go until it's past 40mph in second gear but keep it nailed and you will be smiling all the way to 134mph. The gear box is greatly suited to the power bands of the car and it has no problem dispatching Sunday drivers.
Things to watch for - accelerator cables (needs replacing if peddle is sticky or vibrates), heat shields (easily removed) and of course Ford dealers.

I've never been a fan of Fords apart from the biblically fantastic Escort Cosworth. I have only owned the Ford Focus 2.0 ST 170 3dr for a couple of days and must say what a piece of kit!!! Having just parted with what I think is one of the most aesthetically pleasing motors ever (Mazda rx7 Efini), I decided to act like a bloke of 30, which I am, and go for practicality with a bit of performance. After test driving the car and getting 90mph of it in 3rd, at about 4500rpm, I instantly fell in love. The performance is outstanding for what is basically a 3 door 2l family hatchback! There is more than enough grunt for nearly any driving situation you may be faced with and the handling is superb, it grips the roads straight and twisty like it wants to tear up the tarmac and the mid-range torque is out of the world. The noise the 2l lump makes after 4000 rpm, makes your heart pound!

Practicality wise, the little Focus is abound with space front and back, being 6'2", I find it tricky to fit into sportier cars, but no such trouble with this motor. The cloth and leather trim is fantastic, comfy beyond belief. The car itself feels solid and safe whether tonking along or pootling round town.

If you are reading this and you are thinking about buying a st170, then just go and test drive one. I promise you will instantly fall in love.

This is a goodbye message to our Ford Focus 2.0 ST 170 3dr, after 48,000 miles, and we'll miss it. Let's get one thing straight first, this is not a "hot hatch". If you want a wheel-spinning, redline-revving spoiler and body-kit special, look elsewhere, like buy a Type R Civic, a Vauxhall or Ford's own rather hideous ST replacement. If, instead, you're grown up enough to want a car that inspires absolute confidence in its road manners, that's capable of very swift yet relaxed cross-country journeys but is as easy to drive as any baseline Focus for shopping and commuting, this is it.

The ST 170, a car Ford makes very rarely. It uses some very expensive brought-in parts, an engine developed and partly built by Cosworth featuring variable cams, special cylinder head casting, variable induction, special engine management, exhaust, catalyst etc. A gearbox brought in from Getrag, unique brakes and a lot of detail changes to make the thing work. In short, they didn't make much, if any, money selling just 50,000 units a year worldwide. The lucky result is that you can now pick up a major bargain in a nice used example.

If you're buying, avoid a car without the "comfort pack". This gives you the superb Zenon headlights which not only work amazingly, but hugely improve the looks, a heated front screen and a 6-CD changer. There are leather Recarro option cars around in place of the standard leather/cloth insert, but you'll also be lumbered with a big sub-woofer intruding into the boot - just chuck it away. If you want a boot-mounted sub, you don't want an ST170.

Once inside the car, it immediately feels at home, thanks to the excellent ergonomics inherited from the rest of the Focus range. On a first drive, you'll think that the gear ratios are impossibly high, but that's part of what makes the package so good. A fine, flat torque curve makes them work. On the open road, the tall 2nd, 3rd, 4th gears become really usable and the whole driving experience just falls into place. It's natural, relaxed motorway gait is just 3800rpm which is in the mid-nineties, so watch out! On A and B roads, it really comes together with a combination of class-leading handling, a beautifully developed engine, the six-speed box and some serious brakes, all made usable by good driving position and excellent visibility, especially in the 3-door version, but round town, it's docile, drivable and as practical as any other Focus.

It's easy enough to own, apart from one little vice. Around, town it's kinda thirsty at about 29 mpg and over three years we've only averaged 31 mpg with a one tank only high of 35 mpg.

Still, our's is going. And the replacement? Well, not the new ST for sure, and not any of the direct equivalents either. To find a car we actually want to own as much as the little Ford, I've had to stump up twice its price for a DSG-equipped R32 Golf. And still, with the order form on the table, my wife said "We could just keep the Focus another year". I'd say that's a recommendation.

I thought that having owned BMW's in the past that buying a Ford wouldn't be that much fun. How wrong was I, the Focus drives and handles as well as any other car I have driven. And that includes the rear wheel drive that I have become use to. Acceleration isn't the cars strong point but is still no let down. People keep going on about how important 0-60 is, what a load of rubbish. You need a good mix of speed handling and comfort. Oh and you also needs to watch MPG which when all siad and done isn't as bad as some people make out, if driven normally. Which is where one of it's flaws lies. This car makes you want to drive at the top end of the speed limit (if you know what I mean). Which does tend to make it sup more of the black gold. Overall this car delivers up to and beyond what you would expect. Well done Ford, well done.

Had the Ford Focus 4 months, no problems yet. Performance is ok for the weight of the car (1300Kg) (not the firebreathing dragon I had hoped for, but still quick enough to make me smile). However the fuel consumption is very similar to my 2003 mx-5 (the 1.6!) so I would have to say for a 2.0 it is quite good. Also the insurance, for a group 15 is cheap (again it's cheaper than my 1.6 MX-5 which was a group 11!). It is also a very practical car, and does not have the "come and steal me/carjack me" looks of a Civic Type R. The only other comparable car (performance for £) that comes close is a Clio 182, but they do not have the same build quality/practicality as the Ford.

I am collecting my Ford Focus 2.0 ST 170 3dr in a couple of days, and will comment further at a later date.
The reason I am buying it, is that it is replacing a 1.6 Zetec that I have been more than happy with for the last 4 years. The basic Focus handles like a dream (best in class).
The ST170 is fast, smooth, and practical. Insurance is cheaper than most other cars in the same class, and it is not too thirsty if driven "sensibly". The low down torque means you don't have to thrash it to the red line between every gear change, as much fun as that is.

To clear up a common misconception, the Ford Focus ST170 is quick - I can leave BMW 325's hands down. Its reputation for being sluggish probably comes from the linear power curve; the Focus just dosn't FEEL quick. It's not quite as spicy as an Impreza WRX or a Civic Type R, but damn close.

Handling is where the Focus really shines, the ST has even more grip than standard models and isn't easliy unsettled by lumps in the road. It outhandles Civic Type R's (i've driven both) and i've yet to come across a car that the Focus can't match. Also, with the traction control switched on rain is suddenly a much smaller issue than for most cars.

Practicality is as good as any other focus in the 5 door; i've not driven a 3 door. Airbags are stationed at the front and sides and the car comes with most of little semi-pointless toys that are found on the Ghia. Also, being a ford, insurance is not as painful as it could be despite the group 15 rating. Reliability has been fine so far despite a couple of minor niggles (tapping nuts etc) that have been cleared up under the warranty.

Overall I'm extremely pleased with the car, especially since realising that the fuel economy is amazingly good for the power of the engine - its worthwhile putting 98ron down the filler.

The Ford Focus 2.0 ST 170 3dr Handles like a go-kart, very good spec and very practicale car. Do shop around if buying a new one, Mine was a Belguim import, full UK spec with comfort pack, saved around 3K.

fantastic all round car, will beat most road cars around with the exception of the odd few. In my opinion well worth the money

I absolutely love driving this Ford Focus but I think it has something to do with having a manual transmission and having ordered the S2 package, which essentially makes it a European Focus (pretty rare in America). I happened to drive an Americanized automatic four-door, and though it was still a nice piece, it was decidedly less sporty. Everything felt looser, though you could argue the ride was smoother. My S2 Focus handles like a sports car but feels like something much roomier and more comfortable. I never want to stop driving this thing!